The present invention relates generally to a supporting device used to support at least a portion of a body during a surgical or other medical or therapeutic procedure.
The literature is replete with descriptions of body-supporting devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 471,895 to Reeves describes a head rest for beds. The head rest includes two independent adjustments used to adjust an inclination of a supporting fabric.
U.S. Pat. No. 830,776 to Flagg describes a leg rest for resting the leg of a patient. The rest is supported on two arms, which are adjustable to thereby adjust the inclination of the rest.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,452,915 to Kennedy describes a support device for invalids. The support device includes a base, a first plate pivotally connected to the forward end of the base and a second plate pivotally connected to the first plate. The free edge of the second plate is cooperable with a series of inclined notches formed in bars extending from the base to thereby adjust the height and inclination of the first and second plates.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,650,261 to Carlson describes a buttocks elevator, which includes a lower member and an upper member. The lower member and upper member are hinged together by a hinge shaft. An arm is hinged on the lower member, and a wrench extends perpendicularly from the arm. Pivoting the wrench causes the arm to pivot to thereby raise the upper member, pivoting the upper member about the hinge shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,346,722 to Bowman describes a leg rest, which includes a base, a platform hingedly secured at one end to the base and a pair of props hingedly secured along the length of the base. The free ends of the props are selectively engageable with one of two bars disposed along the length of the platform to thereby adjust the elevation and inclination of the platform.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,390,660 to Muenzen describes a folding reclining bed board, which includes a main body and a flat back-rest hinged at one end thereof to the main body. An outer prop and an inner prop are provided for selectively adjusting the inclination of the backrest between a first inclined position and a second inclined position.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,461,434 to Mogers describes a folding mechanical pillow, which includes a base and a frame hingedly secured to the base. A telescoping mechanism is provided at the free end of the frame to adjust the inclination of the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,581,110 to Kenworthy describes an adjustable leg rest for invalids. The leg rest includes a leg support supported on a base by telescoping bars. The telescoping bars are adjustable to adjust the elevation and inclination of the leg support.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,663,880 to Meeks describes a collapsible back rest, which includes telescoping legs for adjusting an inclination of a stretch band.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,007,739 to Delia describes a leg rest, which is selectively adjustable between a first, straight position and a second, flat position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,065,992 to Nagel describes an adjustable leg rest, which includes a bottom piece, a top piece and two end pieces hingedly secured to each end of the top and bottom pieces. The top piece, bottom piece and end pieces define a quadrilateral structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,066,322 to Derby describes a leg and foot support, which includes a base section, an upper leg supporting frame section pivotably connected to the base section and a pair of braces pivotably connected to the upper leg supporting frame section and slidably connected to the base section. The inclination of the upper leg supporting section is adjustable by adjusting the braces.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,557 to Kelley describes a device for supporting a person""s leg during knee surgery. The device includes a base, an upright hingedly connected to one end of the base and a leg support hingedly connected to an opposite end of the upright. A prop is provided so that the device may be arranged in a first configuration, wherein the base, upright and leg support define a triangular structure, and a second configuration, wherein the base, upright, leg support and prop define a quadrilateral structure. The position of the hinge connecting the upright to the base is adjustable, and the length of the upright is adjustable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,768 to Ciullo describes a fracture positioning device having a pair of arms with ends pivotally attached to provide the positive force necessary to position bone fracture fragments during surgery.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,901 to Machisky et al. describes a portable adjustable body tilt board, which includes a pair of panel members connected along a hinge section. A nylon strap is affixed at one end to an edge of one of the panel members and having a hook-and-loop fastening material at its free end for fastening the free end to a matching hook-and-loop fastening material provided on the panel member. The angle between the panel members may be selectively adjusted by adjusting the fastening position of the strap with respect to the panel member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,793 to Syrek describes a weight-lifting apparatus, which includes a chest platform and a thigh support attached to the chest platform by a hinge mechanism. A locking telescoping device is provided for selectively adjusting the angle between the chest platform and the thigh support.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,720 to Daneshvar describes a toe protector, which includes a base part hingedly connected to a first side piece. The first side piece is hingedly connected to a second side piece. The base includes notches for accepting the free end of the second side piece to selectively adjust a height of the toe protector.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,551 to Bailey et al. describes a knee positioner for adjustably positioning the knee joint during a surgical operating procedure. The apparatus includes a rigid frame releasably attachable to an operating table. The rigid frame is provided with one or more rods to movably support a carriage that can be releasably locked in position and which adjustably supports a boot that can be releasably locked in position on the carriage. A commercial embodiment of the device described in Bailey et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,551 is sold by Innovative Medical Products, Inc. (Plainville, Conn.) under the trade name IMP UNIVERSAL KNEE POSITIONER(trademark), or simply, UNIVERSAL KNEE POSITIONER(trademark).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,589 to Hogan describes a skeletal realignment system, which includes a vertical section connected to an inclined upper section.
In addition to the foregoing, there are a myriad of commercially available positioners. One such device is composed of three rigid panels attached at their respective ends to define a right triangle. In such a device, the relative angles between the adjacent panels are fixed. Accordingly, the only adjustment available in such a device is the orientation of the device with respect to the patient.
The above described prior art supporting devices suffer from several significant disadvantages. For example, the range of adjustments available in such supporting devices is limited. While the limited adjustability may not present any problem in certain circumstances, the surgical and medical fields are in need of a supporting device that can be easily and effectively adjusted over a wide range of positions and configurations. As a particular example, a surgeon performing a surgical procedure on a human knee joint may be required to position the knee in a fully extended position and in a fully bent position during the course of the procedure to ensure the proper range of motion in the knee joint. Heretofore, surgeons have employed operating room personnel to manually support and manipulate the patient""s leg and knee joint to achieve the necessary positioning and manipulation. This type of manual positioning and manipulation is not only inaccurate but also increases the number of operating room personnel, increases fatigue of such personnel and detracts such personnel from performing other, more critical, functions. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fully adjustable surgical supporting device.
The above and other beneficial objects of the present invention are most effectively attained by providing an adjustable surgical supporting device as disclosed and claimed herein. In one embodiment, the surgical supporting device includes a plurality of frame elements, each being hingedly attached at each end to one of the ends of an adjacent frame element to define a closed structure. A length of each frame member is adjustable between a maximum and minimum length. The angle between each pair of adjacent frame elements is also adjustable.